The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says that no further sanctions will be coming against Ryan Lochte or the rest of the American swimmers involved in the gas station incident after the final session of swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The IOC has call the punishments doled out by the American authorities “adequate” after convening a disciplinary panel. The IOC also said specifically that “no additional penalty was needed on its part.”

The story, now oft-told, though still with some fuzzy details, involved Lochte, Jimmy Feigen, Jack Conger, and Gunnar Bentz in the early-morning hours stopping at a gas station in Rio to use the restrooms. All four swimmers have admitted that they urinated on the back of the building, and their stories correlate that Lochte pulled down and damaged a sign on the building.

As a result of the incident, Lochte has been suspended for 10 months, which means he’ll miss the 2017 World Championships, while Conger, Bentz, and Feigen will all serve 4 month suspensions: through the end of 2016.

None of the swimmers will receive USA Swimming stipends during their suspensions; and all will be held out of a White House ceremony and the USA Swimming Golden Goggles Awards ceremony.

Additional sanctions against Lochte include 20 hours of community service and forfeiting all USOC and USA Swimming medal funding for his gold medal at the Olympic Games.

I’m familiar with the incident in Florida. There is no equivalence. Lochte committed a crime In Brazil, and he is still avoiding his punishment. In the words of the finest US President since the turn of the century, we need to “Bring him to Justice”

Lochte fled the country, to avoid being arrested, charged and potentially sent to prison. The US judicial system dealt with Dan Wallace, and he faced up to his crimes. Lochte is still evading Brazilian Justice. He should turn himself in.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder of SwimSwam.com.
He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming.
Aside from his life on the InterWet, …